Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish; 2026 Illex Squid Quota Harvested

Issuing agencies

Abstract

NMFS is closing the directed Illex squid fishery in Federal waters based on a projection that 96 percent of the 2026 domestic annual harvest (DAH) will be harvested. This closure is effective 0001 hour (hr) local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 hr local time on December 31, 2026. This action is necessary to comply with the regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP), and is intended to prevent the 2026 Illex squid annual catch limit from being exceeded.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 54247]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17148]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[Docket No. 260702-0161; RTID 0648-XF978]


Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Mackerel, Squid, and 
Butterfish; 2026 Illex Squid Quota Harvested

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Temporary rule; possession limit adjustment.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is closing the directed Illex squid fishery in Federal 
waters based on a projection that 96 percent of the 2026 domestic 
annual harvest (DAH) will be harvested. This closure is effective 0001 
hour (hr) local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 hr local time on 
December 31, 2026. This action is necessary to comply with the 
regulations implementing the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery 
Management Plan (FMP), and is intended to prevent the 2026 Illex squid 
annual catch limit from being exceeded.

DATES: Effective 0001 hr local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 hr 
local time on December 31, 2026.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Fenton, Fishery Policy Analyst, 
978-281-9196.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Regulations implementing the Mackerel, 
Squid, and Butterfish FMP appear at 50 CFR part 648, subpart B. The 
regulations at Sec.  648.22 describe the specifications that must be 
set annually for the fisheries managed under the Mackerel, Squid, and 
Butterfish FMP. For the Illex squid fishery, these specifications 
include the Domestic Annual Harvest (DAH), which is also known as the 
commercial quota and represents the total amount of Illex squid that 
can be landed by commercial fishing vessels in a given fishing year. On 
July 9, 2026, NMFS published a final rule (91 FR 42360) implementing a 
38,631-metric ton (mt) Illex squid DAH for fishing year 2026 (January 
1-December 31, 2026).
    The regulations at Sec.  648.24(a)(2) require NMFS to close the 
directed Illex squid fishery in Federal waters for the remainder of the 
year when the Regional Administrator projects that 96 percent of the 
DAH is harvested. When such a closure is in effect, vessels are 
prohibited from fishing for, possessing, or landing more than 10,000 
pounds (lb; 4,536 kilograms (kg)) of Illex squid at any time per trip, 
and from landing Illex squid more than once per calendar day, as 
specified at Sec.  648.26(c)(2).
    Based on vessel reports, dealer reports, and other available 
information, the Regional Administrator projected that 96 percent of 
the Illex squid DAH will be harvested by August 23, 2026. Therefore, 
effective 0001 hr local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 hr local 
time on December 31, 2026, vessels may not fish for, possess, or land 
more than 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) of Illex squid at any time per trip, and 
may only land Illex squid once per calendar day. Vessels issued an 
Illex squid moratorium permit that enter port before 0001 hr local time 
on August 23, 2026, may land and sell more than 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) of 
Illex squid from that trip, consistent with the possession restrictions 
at Sec.  648.26(c).
    Also, effective 0001 hr local time on August 23, 2026, through 2400 
hr local time on December 31, 2026, federally permitted dealers may not 
purchase, possess, or receive for a commercial purpose or attempt to 
purchase, possess, or receive for a commercial purpose, more than 
10,000 lb (4,536 kg) of Illex squid from a vessel unless the vessel 
enters port before 0001 hr local time on August 23, 2026.

Classification

    NMFS issues this action pursuant to section 305(d) of the Magnuson-
Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. This action is 
required by Sec.  648.24(a)(2), which was issued pursuant to section 
304(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and is exempt from review under 
Executive Order 12866.
    Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), there is good cause to waive prior 
notice and opportunity for public comment on this action, as notice and 
comment would be impracticable and contrary to the public interest. The 
public had prior notice and opportunity to comment on the 2026 Illex 
squid DAH through the proposed rule to implement the 2026 Illex squid 
fishery specifications (91 FR 12545; March 16, 2026), and the closure 
process for the Illex squid fishery when that provision of the FMP was 
put in place. Further, data indicating that 96 percent of the 2026 DAH 
will be harvested only recently became available. High volume landings 
in the Illex squid fishery can lead to harvest of the DAH relatively 
quickly. If implementation of this action is delayed, the 2026 DAH will 
likely be exceeded, thereby undermining the conservation objectives of 
the Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish FMP. For these reasons, there is 
also good cause under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) to waive the 30-day delay in 
effective date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: August 19, 2026.
Shannon Bettridge,
Acting Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine 
Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2026-17148 Filed 8-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P


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